In China, nearly 3,500 kids are named after Olympics. This shows that the 2008 Games is more than an event—it will be a cultural and histor...July 13, 2008

In China, nearly 3,500 kids are named after Olympics. This shows that the 2008 Games is more than an event—it will be a cultural and historical phenomenon held very dear to the hearts of the Chinese. So don't be surprised if sometime in the future you meet a lot of Chinese named, Olympics.

Here's another unique baby naming story - a Chinese couple wants to take unique baby naming to another level. A San Francisco Chronicle article mentioned a couple’s desire to literally name their baby “@”, spelled just like that.

“A Chinese couple seeking a distinctive name for their child settled on the e-mail ‘at’ symbol — annoying government officials grappling with an influx of unorthodox names."
“The unidentified couple were cited Thursday by a government official as an example of citizens bringing bizarre names into the Chinese language. Written Chinese does not use an alphabet but is comprised of characters, sometimes making it difficult to develop words for new or foreign objects and ideas.”

They had good intentions—In Chinese, the letters ‘a’ and ‘t’ sound like words for “love him.” It’s still unknown if the parents were successful at naming their little one ‘at.’